


Balance

by wabadabadaba



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Drinking, Fluff, I forgot how to tag, Liam is an angel, M/M, Mild Angst, Past Character Death, TeamPayne TeamPain, Working Too Much, louis is in a band, the payne chain makes an appearance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-13
Updated: 2020-05-13
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:34:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,345
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24155170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wabadabadaba/pseuds/wabadabadaba
Summary: “Tomorrow is Saturday, good job Lou,” Liam teased. “I work all the time, I thought you figured that out.”“But it’s Saturday.”“The work doesn’t end, Louis."or the one where Louis is the lead singer of a band called The Rogue and has too much fun and Liam works at a community center and doesn't know what the word fun is. They end up bringing out the best in each other.
Relationships: Liam Payne/Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik/Harry Styles
Comments: 2
Kudos: 28





	Balance

**Author's Note:**

> So I forgot how much I love Louis and Liam together. I'm used to writing them as a side couple in my Zarry fics but I wanted to explore their relationship a bit. A big big big big big thank you to @Basically_wat for helping me with this story. She helped me with Louis's job, the timeline, pet names, and encouraging me to write and finally finish this. Also, she actually designed the shirts that are described in this fic. She is genuinely making shirts for me, my husband her to wear and I am so excited. 
> 
> Tori basically cowrote this fic and I love her to bits. I hope you enjoy!
> 
> Also I only skimmed as editing so I'm sorry for all the mistakes I definitely made. I'll do better next time.

Liam fiddled with the bracelet on his arm, he kept twisting it around and around and around. The gold chain caught the tiny hairs on his wrist and the metal hit the table with a small clink every time Liam twisted it. With each full circle around his wrist, Liam thought about the little boy that came into the community center with his mother. His mother was dressed in a McDonald’s uniform and was asking Terry a million questions about the place before leaving her son and getting on a bus. The boy was small for his age, his clothes were stained and torn and when Sarah gave him a snack the little boy looked like he was given the most precious item in the world. It was tough to witness and it was even harder when Liam tried to talk to the boy, his heart broke with every struggled sentence the boy told him. It was supposed to be a good day, the creative director at the community center had organized a wonderful craft activity but most of the kids started showing problems sharing and there were a few fights and the new boy hit Liam in a way he wasn’t expecting. 

The band that had been testing their equipment when Liam entered the store started their set. The beating of the drums allowed Liam to close his eyes and focus on calming his anxieties he felt from the day. Liam only opened his eyes when he heard the singer start. The voice was unique, the singer's naturally higher pitched and the emotion in it struck a nerve in Liam's body. He turned around in his chair and looked at the band before him. His eyes immediately laid on the singer; he seemed shorter than the rest of his bandmates, especially since Liam noticed him standing on the tips of his toes as he hit his high notes. Liam looked over the other band members; the guitarist was also cute and kept smiling and winking at the crowd, the bassist was taller than the rest of the members with long brown hair and the drummer had black hair and tattoos covering his chest and arms. Liam couldn't help but wonder how so many good looking guys were in one band. 

The music was good and it was a decent enough distraction for Liam to temporarily forget about the little boy from earlier. By the time the band ended Liam had the beginnings of a headache and he was starving. He really should have had more to eat than a bag of chips when he got off work but he was too exhausted to worry about it then. The bartenders were all busy so Liam played on his phone while he waited to close his tab. His elbow was knocked into almost making him drop his phone. 

"Oi, sorry mate."

Liam turned to say something and realized it was the lead singer of the band that performed. "It's okay." Liam smiled. "You were really great up there."

The singer grinned, the crinkles by his eyes made his blue eyes shine a little brighter in the poorly lit bar. "Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it. Have you ever seen us perform before?"

Liam shook his head. "Can't say that I have."

The man pursed his lips and nodded. "Hm, you'll have to come see us again. We could always use more groupies."

Liam didn't know if he wanted to laugh, blush, or be offended by what the man said. His smirk and wink made Liam feel a little better by the comment. A sweater covered hand was in front of him, the blue-eyed man smiling at him softly. Liam reached out and shook his hand, his bracelet hitting against the edge of the bar.

"Louis Tomlinson."

Liam smiled at him, _Louis Tomlinson_ , it had a nice ring to it. "Liam Payne."

"Lima Bean?" Louis asked, his eyebrows furrowing.

"No," Liam laughed as Louis leaned forward to hear him better. "Liam Payne."

"Ah," Louis grinned. "That makes more sense. Can I buy you a drink?"

"That is very kind of you but I was actually about to leave. I had a very long day."

"All the more reason for a drink. Oi, oi!"

A bartender seemed to appear out of nowhere and Liam could only stare at Louis' ability to make bartenders appear out of nowhere. Louis ordered himself and looked at Liam expectantly. Liam ordered another rum and coke but instead of allowing Louis to pay, he paid for his drink and closed his tab so he wouldn't be tempted to have another drink. 

"Thank you, kind sir," Louis smiled. "Come on, let’s go sit with my friends."

Louis' hand wrapped around Liam's wrist and he allowed the smaller boy to drag him off his seat and followed him to a corner booth where the rest of the band was sitting. Louis slid into the booth next to the guitarist and Liam sat next to him and did his best not to appear too awkward. 

"Guys, this is Liam. Liam, that's Zayn, Harry, and Niall."

Liam waved at everyone and tried to follow along with the conversation that was flowing across the table. From what he gathered, they were arguing whether or not Zayn was a half step ahead of Niall, who was supposedly right on time. 

"Are you out of your mind?" Harry asked, pushing his hair away from his face. "The bass section," Harry emphasized pointing between him and Zayn. "are the backbone of any band. You being ahead means you were wrong because we keep the tempo!"

"What!?" Niall screeched. "I was only ahead because I was trying to get you guys to realize that you both were behind."

Harry scoffed and turned towards Louis and Liam. "What do you think, Liam?"

"Uhm, well," Liam hesitated. "I don’t know anything about music."

"Very civilized answer," Louis nudged Liam's shoulder. "Very dignified."

"Louis?" Zayn asked. "What do you think?"

Louis smirked and looked at Harry. "Sorry mate," he turned to Niall and shrugged. "You were ahead."

Niall held his hands up and shook his head. "I hate all of you."

"Keep tempo and maybe you wouldn't feel that way," Louis teased. "So Liam," Louis turned back to their guest and smiled. "You aren't a music person. What kind of person are you?"

"That's kind of a loaded question Lou," Zayn commented, taking a sip of his beer. 

"I'm not asking for his life story, just what he does."

"I am a social worker," Liam told the group. 

"Fuck," Harry dropped his hand on the table and looked like he could cry. "How do you do it?"

Liam shrugged. "I'm not quite sure. There is always a kid out there I can help."

"Are you some kind of superhero or something? Do you have a spandex suit on under this dress shirt?" Louis asked, poking at Liam's chest. Louis' eyes grew wide as he poked him again. "Are you superman? You have abs of steel!"

Liam could feel himself blushing and he carefully moved so Louis couldn't touch him again. "I'm not a superhero or superman, sorry to say."

"Your abs say otherwise," Louis grinned. 

"We should go to the gym sometimes together. None of them go with me," Harry rolled his eyes. "Zayn smokes too much, Niall has bad knees and Louis is impossible to work with."

"Sure," Liam nodded to be polite.

"I am _not_ impossible to work with Harold."

Harry rolled his eyes and got up from the table when Zayn motioned he wanted to be let out, an unlit cigarette was in his hand.

"You're being rude so I'm hitting the bar, wanna come old man?" Harry asked Niall.

"Yes, I need another Guinness."

Liam assumed Louis was going to move over in the booth, he didn't however, and just turned so his body was facing Liam. Louis sat his with one of his legs tucked under him and his arm around the booth, his fingers dangerously close to the back of Liam's head. Liam put his forearms on the table and leaned forward so Louis' fingers weren't so close to him.

"So what led you here tonight?" Louis asked. "You said you had a long day?"

"Yeah, another kid was enrolled at the community center. I tried to talk to him but," Liam trailed off not wanting to get into it. 

"Is it always difficult?" Louis asked.

"Not always but mostly. What about you? What do you do? I mean other than the band?"

"Oh, I work at Instant Imprints."

Liam laughed. "What now?"

"Look, I didn't pick the name. We're a custom print shop for all your holiday, sports teams, and printing needs," Louis rolled his eyes.

"Wow, very full service. I'm impressed," Liam teased. "How do you find the time to practice?"

"It's a gift," Louis smirked. "I am terrible at time management, it's a wonder I get anything done. What do you do outside of work?"

"Well," Liam picked up his glass and swirled it around, he didn't do anything outside of work. Most days he was too exhausted to even go to the grocery store. "Not much, honestly. I mean I go to the gym but that’s it."

"That can't be it," Louis rolled his eyes. 

"I'm not sure I know what to tell you then," Liam shrugged then checked the time on his watch. "I should be heading out though."

Louis frowned and touched Liam's wrist lightly. "I'm sorry if I offended you. I was simply teasing.”

"You didn't offend me. Like I said earlier, I just had a very long day."

Louis took his hand away and smiled at Liam. "Okay well, it was nice meeting you. Thanks for the drink."

"No problem," Liam stood up. "Thanks for the distraction."

Liam left Louis sitting at the table alone and he felt a little guilty about it but he didn't want to stay in the bar anymore. Louis was fun and his friends were nice but Liam couldn't remember the last time he spent time with anyone that wasn't his family. 

Most days Liam was out of his apartment by six am and he didn’t return until after seven pm. The friends he did keep from college had all moved on and had families of their own. His coworkers were nice enough but spending time with them outside of work was difficult; it was a constant reminder of the horrors they faced every day. Besides he didn’t have the same interests as his coworkers which made discussing anything other than work very difficult. 

It made Liam feel lonely, that he didn't have any meaningful relationships. He didn't know what else he could do about it. He goes out when he feels like it and he doesn't shy away from the conversation if someone speaks to him, like Louis and his friends. He just hasn't met anyone that sparked something inside him to pursue something more than a brief conversation in a crowded bar. 

》》》》

Liam sat down in his office and looked over the to-do list he had for the kickball fundraiser he was planning for the community center. The event was still a few weeks away and while he had a lot done from his list, there was a lot for Liam to be stressed over. The next item on his list of things to accomplish was ordering shirts for the staff and the kids. He quickly googled a shop where he could get them printed and decided on the first suggestion which happened to be Instant Imprint. Liam briefly wondered if that would be weird to go there but he didn’t have a lot of time to get the shirts printed so he didn’t have a lot of time to worry about seeing Louis.

Liam walked into the store, ignoring his ringing phone to look at nonother than Louis Tomlinson sitting behind the counter. He was looking at the computer, one hand propped up on the counter and holding his hand while the other hand was using the mouse to the computer. Louis's hair was messy, he was wearing a pair of glasses, and a grey sweater. Liam was struck by how soft Louis looked which was the opposite of how he looked Friday evening at the bar.

"Oh, Lima Bean Liam Payne," Louis smiled when he finally looked up at the computer. 

"Louis Tomlinson," Liam smiled, glancing at his phone again. "I'm sorry, give me one second."

Liam walked away as he answered the phone and walked off towards a rack of crew neck sweatshirts. He turned his back to Louis as he talked but it did not mean Louis was any less curious as to why Liam Payne from the bar was in his shop and walking circles around the sweaters. Louis saved the design he was working on and took his glasses off, he always felt a little silly wearing them. He fought with his eye doctor about needing to wear glasses while he was at work. He put up a strong argument of looking dorky and yet his doctor won in the end. 

"Sorry about that," Liam walked up to the counter, looking at his phone again. Louis sighed rather loudly and grinned when Liam looked up at him. "Yes?"

"Shall I remind you that you walked into my store?"

"Right, I'm sorry. Work is," Liam sighed. "Right so I need to order shirts for a kickball fundraiser."

"Okay, do you have a design or phrase already?"

Louis resisted his eye roll when Liam's phone started ringing again. Liam looked frustrated but he simply mumbled something about voice-mail and looked at Louis. 

“I was thinking of Team Payne.”

“Team pain?” Louis asked. “What the hell do you need shirts for that says team pain?” 

Liam cocked his head to the side and his eyebrows furrowed and he looked like a kicked puppy. “What do you mean? Team Payne is a good idea. It shows we are a team and it has the community center name in it.”

“Wait,” Louis stood up from his chair and looked at Liam like he was insane. “Pain is the name of your community center?”

“Yeah,” Liam nodded. “Like my last name. P-a-y-n-e. My dad started the community center and I took over when he decided to run for local office a few years ago.”

Louis was silent as the realization washed over him. “Oh my god,” Louis started laughing. “I thought you meant pain as in p-a-i-n. I was so confused.”

Liam laughed as well. “You thought I was going to put Team Pain on shirts for a kickball game? A fundraiser at that.”

Louis’s cheeks turned a light pink as he laughed. “I thought you were nuts and I still do not think we should put team Payne on the shirt, even if it is spelled differently. It doesn’t give off a good vibe. Do you guys have a phrase or something you say before a game or a motto for the community center?”

“No?” Liam said scratching the back of his head.

“Nothing?” Louis asked. “There has to be something. At the band’s gigs, we always say we push. You don’t have anything like that?” Liam shook his head. “Okay well since you’re cute and you have big brown eyes, you can borrow the phrase from us. I’ll mock something up for you. How many shirts are you ordering?”

“Thirty,” Liam told him, still focusing on the fact that Louis called him cute. 

“Okay, we can have them done in about a week?”

“That’s perfect. The game isn’t for three weeks, I’m just trying to narrow down my list.” 

Louis was going to ask about his list or the fundraiser but Liam’s phone started ringing again so Liam excused himself and started walking around the store. While Liam walked, Louis put his glasses back on and started working on the design. He had a hard time concentrating because he kept glancing at Liam. He was wearing a similar outfit that he was on Friday evening; a simple button-down shirt, slacks, and some type of sneaker. Louis got lost in the sight of Liam running his hand through his hair, the fabric of his shirt clinging around his muscles. Louis wanted to know what Liam did to get arms like that and he desperately wanted to know if he could watch whatever it was Liam did to get arms like that. 

“I’m sorry for having to step away.”

Louis blinked a few times and shook his head. “It’s fine.”

“I really should be going though, I have to deal with something.”

“Okay, well I can work on the design and then email it to you for approval if you want.”

“That would be great.” 

Liam wrote down his name and email on the sheet with the last names and shirt sizes. At the last second, he put down his cell phone number and slid the paper to Louis. He felt nervous as Louis looked it over but it was too late to change his mind now. 

“I’ll contact you soon with the designs. Have a good day Lima Bean Liam Payne.”

Liam smiled and shook his head. “Goodbye Louis Tomlinson.” 

Hours later, Liam had put out a million small fires and he was just about to head home when he got an email from Louis. Included was the design for the shirt. On the front in script it says We Push with a banner underneath and inside the banner, it has the initials PCC. The lettering for the last names were a different font but it was perfect. 

_Alright, Team Payne, what do you think? Tell me if you want me to change anything. I can also think of something else. If you do want to proceed with the final design then just let me know what colors you want. I will redo it with the correct colors._

_-Louis Tomlinson_

Liam smiled and typed out a reply and sent it before he could overthink it. He shut down his computer and walked through the center to make sure everything was cleaned and turned off. Liam grabbed his bag from his office, making sure to not check his phone as he locked up and got in his car. Right as he was about to drive out of the parking lot, his phone started ringing. It wasn't unusual for Liam to get calls from unknown numbers but it was the first time in a long time he was nervous about the unknown call. 

"Liam Payne," Liam answered the phone.

"Do you always answer the phone like that?" Louis's voice filtered through the phone. 

"Yes."

"How many business calls do you get on your personal phone?"

"Lots, this is one isn't?" Liam asked. 

"Hm. I don't normally do business calls when I'm off the clock."

Liam glanced at the clock in his car. "I didn't realize the time, I'm sorry. We can discuss this later when you are on the clock."

Louis laughed. "You are a funny man, Payne. We don't have to talk business you know. We could discuss meeting up for a drink."

Liam's chest tightened as he quickly thought of the possibility. "I'm sorry, I have a lot of work to do."

"Work is over with, Liam Payne."

"Work never stops Louis Tomlinson," Liam smiled. 

"Can I talk you into it?" Louis asked. 

Liam thought for a moment, the gravity of making an impulsive decision of giving Louis his number. "No, not tonight."

"Hm, not tonight but maybe another night?" 

"Maybe."

"Can I text you or is that not allowed?"

Liam laughed and ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah, that's allowed."

"Goodbye Lima Bean Liam Payne."

"Goodbye Louis Tomlinson."

》》》》

_From Louis Tomlinson  
Is tonight Another Night? Band practice tonight, very low key. You should come. _

Liam had a laundry list of things he needed to get done for the community center. He had to verify payments to the vendors for the fundraiser, he had to call an electrician for the faulty wiring causing the kitchen lights to flicker, he had to reach out to the mayor's office to ask _again_ if she would be willing to attend the fundraiser and ten other things that were plaguing his mind. In spite of all of that, Liam left the community center on time and was driving to the address Louis gave him so he could see The Rogue practice. He could have and should have stayed at work. 

He drove up to a quant house and parked on the side of the road behind a few other cars and reminded himself to be cool. He didn’t have to be so uptight and on edge all the time, he could relax and have fun. Liam eyed the house in front of him, it was a modest two-story house painted navy blue and a coral colored door. Off the right of the house was a stand alone garage with the door open showing off the converted practice space. Blankets and other types of installation lined the walls and rugs were on the floor. There was a drum set in the back of the converted garage with a few amps on either side. There were three mics and a few guitar stands in front of the drum set. In the right of the garage was a well loved loveseat and on the left side were a few chairs and a minifridge. 

“Lima Bean Liam Payne!” Louis yelled as he walked out of the house, followed by Harry and Niall carrying a few drinks and food items. 

“Hey Louis,” Liam smiled. “Hey Harry, Niall. Where’s Zayn?” 

“Bathroom,” Louis answered quickly as he wrapped an arm around Liam’s neck. “How was your day?” Louis asked, walking off into the garage. 

“It was fine,” Liam shrugged. “What about you?” 

“Peachy,” Louis smiled. “Do you want a beer?” 

Liam shook his head. “No thank you.” 

“Suit yourself then,” Louis shrugged as he opened his drink.

“Liam, my mom made us some snacks and there are drinks in the mini fridge. Please help yourself.”

“So this is your mom’s house? It’s really nice. I like the color combination.”

“I’ll tell her you said that,” Harry smiled. “She repainted it last year and has been second guessing it ever since she did it.”

“Yeah, it used to be white with a few added pieces of artwork from us,” Louis grinned.

“What he means to say is,” Niall laughed. “That there were a lot of places paint was chipping or discolored or cracked or whatever because we were reckless when we were younger.” 

“How long have you guys known each other?” Liam asked.

“Eight years?” Niall asked glancing at Harry.

“No, nine years.” Harry corrected.

“We’ve known each other for twelve years,” Zayn said walking into the garage. “Hi Liam, it’s good to see you again.”

“Yeah, you too,” Liam smiled. 

He felt like he was in the way as the rest of the guys walked around, plugging in cords and tuned guitars so Liam sat down on the couch and took his phone out. He didn’t think it would be rude to check his email while they were just setting up so he responded to some emails and wrote a few. He was happy to be getting some work done even if he wasn’t at the office or at home. His to-do list was haunting him and causing him to have a constant ball of anxiety in the center of his chest. 

“What are you doing?” Louis asked sitting next to Liam.

“Oh, I was just replying to work emails. Sorry, I wasn’t trying to be rude.”

“Do you work all the time?” 

“Yes,” and it wasn’t an exaggeration. Liam couldn’t remember the last time he had a day where he didn’t do anything for work. It was probably while he was still in school and took over the community center. 

“Doesn’t that suck? I mean to constantly be working. Don’t you just want at least an hour without work?”

“Yeah, that would be nice but it’s not realistic for me. I took over the community center and while I am only in charge of one section of it, people still look to me to get a lot of things done. I knew what I was getting into when I took over, I don’t really mind.”

“Just because you knew what you were getting into doesn’t mean you have to continue that way.”

“Louis come on, we’re ready,” Harry called from his mic stand.

“No work while we play,” Louis smiled. “New rule.”

It would have been easy to disobey Louis’s rule. When they started playing, they were concentrating and talking to each other about tempos and keys and things that Liam didn’t understand. He was sure that he could have gotten away with doing some work but he didn’t want to be rude. Louis had been trying to get him to hang out for almost a week and Liam felt like it would be a slap in the face to ignore the band and get on with work. 

The Rogue played six full songs and a few other half songs before Harry asked for a break so he could use the bathroom. Louis grabbed his third beer for the night and sat down beside Liam, offering him a sip but Liam denied. 

“You guys are really good. How long have you been a band?”

“Since high school. Niall and I have known each other since elementary school and learned how to play guitar together. We met Zayn in middle school when we all skipped our science class and Zayn joined band so he could learn the drums. Harry moved to our school in our seventh grade year and he learned bass. We didn’t take it seriously and play together until high school though. The rest, as they say, is history. Are you musically inclined?” Louis asked.

Liam laughed and shook his head. “I mean I guess I can sing, people tell me that all the time but it’s been a long time. In college, I used to do karaoke but I’m far too busy now to do anything like that.” 

“Do you know what fun is?” 

Liam scoffed. “I’m busy, Louis. I’m not a robot.”

Louis grinned and shrugged. “I’m just checking. We are playing a gig this Friday night, you should come and prove you know how to have fun,” Louis winked.

Liam felt his cheeks flushing. “I’ll have to check my schedule.”

“Please do.” 

Louis walked off then and started talking to Niall about a new melody he had been tinkering with. Liam kept his eyes on Louis as he picked up an acoustic guitar and started playing for Niall. When Louis’s eyes met Liam’s, Liam felt his cheeks flush again as Louis smiled softly at him and focused back on playing. A few minutes later, the band started practicing again. They practiced for another few hours before calling it quits. 

Liam watched from the couch as Louis finished off his drink and started messing with Niall, who obviously didn’t want to be messed with but he didn’t push Louis off of him. It had been so long since Liam was around people that weren’t his colleagues so he wasn’t sure if Louis having six beers on a Wednesday night was normal or not. Liam noticed Zayn and Niall have one drink and he didn’t notice if Harry did or not. Still, it was probably nothing. Liam was just out of practice on what it looked like to drink socially. 

“Alright, Lou,” Niall sighed. “That’s enough.”

Liam bit his lip and folded his arms across his chest as he watched Louis move to Zayn who quickly shoved him away, not wanting to deal with him either. Harry walked over to Liam and sat down next to him. 

“You look concerned.” 

“I don’t know what I am,” Liam told him. “Is this normal? I don’t know any of you well enough to know.”

“Unfortunately it is.”

“Unfortunately?” Liam asked.

“Yeah,” Harry sighed. “Louis, well, Louis likes to let loose quite a bit. We’re used to it and we try to get him to slow down. Some nights are better than others.”

“Is it a problem?” 

“Depends on who you ask. He’s great, you know. He is the glue of his family and our friend group which means he forgets to look after himself sometimes. I wouldn’t worry too much, you know. He’ll be fine, he always is.”

With that, Harry stood up and started bringing the empty snack trays inside the house. Niall said goodbye to everyone and Zayn finally got rid of Louis so he could finish getting his things together. Louis walked over to Liam and smiled up at him. 

“What did you think?”

“You were awesome, it was fun to watch. Thanks for letting me.”

“Anytime,” Louis grinned. “Hey we should get dinner together. All I have had are those snacks and I am starving.”

“I’m sorry Louis but I can’t,” Liam felt a little guilty as Louis pouted. “I still have some more work to get done for today. I normally don’t leave the office as early as I did.”

“You didn’t have to come,” Louis crossed his arms over his chest.

Liam furrowed his brows and shook his head. “No, that’s not what I was saying. I want to come, I wouldn’t have if I couldn’t. I’m just saying I normally stay late to complete everything but since I didn’t, I want to work on it before I go to sleep.”

“Alright,” Louis nodded. “One of these days though, I’ll force you to let loose.” 

Louis walked away from him and walked towards the main house before Liam could even say goodbye. Liam was a little confused by Louis’s behavior and the way he talked to him. 

“Don’t worry about him,” Zayn told him. “He’s dealing with some stuff at the moment. He isn’t always like that, I swear.”

Liam nodded and followed Zayn out of the garage and towards their cars. “Is he okay? Harry said something about it too.”

“He will be. He’s the Tommo, he’ll always be okay.”

That didn’t make Liam feel any better about the situation, whatever it was. Liam liked being around Louis, it was easy to get caught up in his sunny disposition and Liam didn’t want this one night to dictate how he felt about Louis. 

》》》》

Liam was hot, sweat was trickling down his back and the people around him were dancing and laughing loudly in his ear. He was uncomfortable and he really wanted to drink some water but he was in the middle of the crowd and he had the perfect view of the band on stage and he didn’t want to risk missing a second of the show. The band had been performing for quite a while now and Liam knew they only had a few more songs left. Even though he was thirsty and uncomfortable, he didn’t want the show to end. The boy's energy on stage was infectious and the way Louis captivated the crowd was charming. He joked around with the crowd and had just enough banter with them that the crowd knew Louis was teasing and not being cruel. 

Liam swallowed the lump in his throat as he watched Louis lift the hem of his shirt and wipe his forehead. Liam stared at the bit of skin showing causing Liam to feel flushed and jittery. Louis’s skin was golden from the sun and glistening from the sweat. Louis dropped his shirt as the final song started and Liam finally broke contact with Louis’s hips. Liam looked up at Louis, unsure if Louis was making eye contact with him but then Louis winked before standing on the tips of his toes and starting to sing. 

After the band performed, Liam made his way to the bar and ordered himself and Louis a drink and waited off to the side. Liam was thankful the venue was hot and he was still sweaty from the crowd because watching Louis walk towards him, his hair wet with sweat and his shirt clinging to his skin was making Liam blush _again_. Louis walked right up to Liam, giving him a big smile. 

“I would hug you but I’m all sweaty,” Louis told him.

Liam rolled his eyes and wrapped an arm around Louis’s shoulders. “You were incredible, of course. I got you a drink.”

Louis grinned and took the drink from Liam’s fingers and took a sip. “Thank you, babe, this is exactly what I needed. So did you enjoy it, really?”

“Yes,” Liam nodded, smiling as Louis stepped closer to him so their arms were touching. “I really did. It was a lot of fun. I liked seeing you in a proper venue than just a bar.”

“I like performing venues too, the crowd is always way more fun and it feels closer to achieving what we really want.”

“Which is world domination, right?” Liam grinned. 

“Exactly,” Louis laughed. “Come on, let’s go find the rest of the guys. I think they are backstage still.” 

Liam felt giddy as Louis interlaced their fingers together and brought him to the back of the venue, through a hallway and into one of the rooms. Zayn was sitting on the couch with Harry laying down in his lap and Niall was sitting on the counter, drinking a bottle of water. 

“Look who I found!” Louis called as they entered the room.

“Hey guys, great show,” Liam complimented. 

“Did you have a favorite song?” Niall asked him. 

Liam bit his lip and tried to think of what to answer. His favorite was Always You because of the way Louis sang my baby but there was no way he could admit that to all of them. 

“Kill My Mind,” Liam finally answered. “I think. They’re all good, of course.”

“Suck up,” Harry teased, mumbling an ow as Zayn pinched the skin on his elbow. “Sorry,” he muttered. 

Louis brought Liam to the other couch and sat down, pulling Liam with him and keeping their hands intertwined. Niall started talking about some guitar riff he thought of so Louis leaned closer to Liam, his lips touching the outer part of Liam’s ear. 

“This okay?” Louis asked, squeezing Liam’s hand.

Liam didn’t think he could talk so he nodded and tried not to choke when Louis gave him a soft smile before jumping into a conversation with Niall. It had been such a long time since Liam held hands with someone that he thought was cute that it was making Liam nervous. He was afraid his hand was becoming sweaty and scowled at the thought; he wasn’t a teenager anymore, his body shouldn’t be reacting that way anymore. It’s just been such a long time since Liam has interacted with a cute guy.

The last relationship he was in was a few years ago and it only lasted a few weeks. The guy was cute and nice, he was a banker and he was very sensible. They got along well, almost too well and Liam didn’t feel a spark between them. He wasn’t sure if he felt the spark with Louis, it was too soon to tell. What he did know was that he liked being around him and Louis was attractive, very attractive. He kept Liam on his toes and he liked holding hands with him. 

“I’m starving,” Louis complained.

“Do you want to, uh, do you want to go get something to eat?” Liam asked. “I mean if you have to stay to do anything or whatever then that’s fine.”

“No,” Louis shook his head. “I don’t have to stay. I should help load some of this stuff in Harry’s van but then we can go. I rode with Niall though, do you mind driving?” 

“Not at all. I can help with this stuff too.”

“You don’t have to,” Louis stood up. 

“Let him help!” Harry called from Zayn’s lap. “I’m too tired to move and since I can’t move, Zaynie can’t either.”

“You’re such a lazy piece of shit,” Louis laughed. “Throw me your keys at least.” 

After about a dozen trips to Harry’s van, Louis, Liam and Niall packed away all of their things. When they returned to the green room, Harry was sitting in Zayn’s laps making out with him like they were thirteen again. 

“So that’s why you didn’t want to help,” Louis laughed. “You guys live together, you couldn’t wait until after the show?” 

Harry glanced behind him and grinned. “Why would I want to?” 

Louis rolled his eyes and grabbed his bag from under the counter and walked back to Liam. “See you, lads, later.” 

Liam called out his goodbyes as Louis grabbed his hand again and led him through the venue. Liam smiled as Louis’s body shook and he wrapped his arms around himself. Before he could think about it, Liam wrapped his arm around Louis and pulled him into his side, his hand rubbing Louis’s arms. 

“You’re the perfect height to do that,” Louis smiled. “It’s nice.”

Liam was too busy thinking about their height difference to think about something to say. Louis was right, it was nice that Louis fit just right into Liam’s side. When they got to Liam’s car, he opened the door for him and reminded himself to calm down before he got into the drivers seat. 

“Where do you want to go?” Liam asked, starting the car.

“There’s a diner that we used to go to when we were in high school. It’s not too far from here actually.” 

“Do you remember the way?” 

“Yes, turn left out of the parking lot. What work did you put off to come tonight?” Louis grinned.

“You’re kind of a dick,” Liam laughed. “Not too much actually. I finished a lot of the little things I had to do. I couldn’t start working on the other things because I was running out of time. I’ll just do them tomorrow though, so it’ll be alright. I’ll catch up.”

“Tomorrow is Saturday. Turn right at the light.”

“Tomorrow is Saturday, good job Lou,” Liam teased. “I work all the time, I thought you figured that out.”

“But it’s Saturday.”

“The work doesn’t end, Louis. Once the fundraiser is over, work will slow down a little but not much. It’s my job to make sure we are getting our name into the community and raising money and making sure things run well. We have a lot of families that depend on us.”

“What exactly does the community center do? Like what do you do there?”

“So the community center is similar to the boys and girls club. We are open every day except for Sunday and we see about thirty kids or more. We have arts and crafts, we have sports days, we have counselors on hand, and we have tutoring. My job is to reach out to the community and organize events and fundraisers. I also make sure schools, churches and other places like that know that we are open and can help.”

“Wow, that’s actually really incredible. Oh, take a left at the next light and then it’ll be on your right. So I know it’s called the Payne Community Center, did you start it?”

“No, my dad did. He used to be a teacher but didn’t like the restrictions so he started the center. He ran it for a long time and decided he wanted to go into the local office and I had graduated college so I took over. I ran it for a while until I found someone to take over the general oversight and I could focus on community outreach. I still tend to manage everything but it is what it is.” 

“Do you see that neon orange sign? That’s it right there. So why do you still manage everything if you have someone else to do that?”

“This is going to sound pretentious,” Liam sighed as he parked the car. “But I think it’s because of who I am. I’m Geoff’s son so people look to me for guidance. It’s hard for me to say no to them when I know I could solve the problem.”

When they got out of the car, Liam was a little disappointed that Louis didn’t try to hold his hand again but he pushed the feeling to the side. 

“Well no wonder you work so much, you’re doing everyone else's jobs.”

Liam stayed silent as they walked into the diner, Louis had a point. Liam was doing everyone else’s jobs but he didn’t like the way Louis said it as if the sentence was poison. Liam liked being in charge, he liked knowing people could go to him and he didn’t think that was a bad thing. Once they were sat, Liam looked over the menu when Louis spoke up.

“I didn’t mean anything by that comment by the way. I realized I said it kind of harshly. Harry always says I’m too blunt and come off as rude. I’m working on it but clearly I’m not any better.”

“You’re right you know, it is part of the reason I work so much. There is also a lot to do to keep the center afloat and I would do anything I could to make sure it didn’t close. The families and kids that come to our center need us and I would live in that place to finish all the work I had to if it meant staying open.”

“That’s admirable, it really is. Sorry I was a dick about it.”

“It’s okay, you’re lucky you are cute,” Liam smiled and watched as Louis bit his bottom lip and played with the corner of the menu. “So, what should I get?”

Louis ended up ordering for them both and Liam demanded to know more about the band and what their goal was. Louis asked Liam about what he used to do before work took over and Liam asked Louis what the weirdest design he ever had to make was; which happened to be a shirt with a poem the customer wrote about breaking up with their partner, Louis saved the poem and made his own shirt he wears to bed. Liam requested a copy of the poem the next time Louis was at work and asked him about more funny stories, he loved when Louis’s laughter turned into quiet giggles. 

After dinner, Louis ordered them both milkshakes even though Liam claimed he was full. Louis rolled his eyes and asked more questions about Liam’s family and if he planned on staying in the community center forever. While drinking their milkshakes, Louis reached out for Liam’s hand on the table and played with his fingers and asked about his tattoos. Liam tried not to swoon over the feeling of Louis’s fingertips on his skin and forced Louis to talk about his own tattoos so Liam could catch his breath. 

They ended up staying in the diner much later than they originally planned to. Conversation flowed easily between them and their not so subtle glances at each other or holding each others hands and tracing tattoos kept them preoccupied. It wasn’t until close to two in the morning that they finally left the diner; Liam paid for their food and Louis left a generous tip for staying so late. Louis insisted he could call an uber so Liam didn’t have to drive all over town but Liam refused to allow that to happen. 

On the drive to Louis’s apartment, Louis’s hand stayed interlocked in Liam’s and the soft sounds of The Fray filled the car. When Liam got to Louis’s apartment, Louis drew out the goodbye as long as he could and kissed Liam’s cheek before getting out and rushing to his door. With a small wave, Louis disappeared into his place and Liam felt his chest tighten a little bit at the loss of Louis’s voice filling the silence and the feel of his hand in his. 

》》》》

“Liam?” 

Liam looked up from his computer at his coworker. “Yeah?” 

“Someone is here to see you, he wouldn’t give me his name. All he said was something about a lima bean.”

Liam laughed and shook his head. “You can send him back, that’s Grace.”

Liam finished replying to the email and crossed it off his to-do list before saving the document he was also working on. The door opened further and Louis walked in, looking as adorable as ever carrying a box that was almost double his size. Liam immediately stood up from his chair and grabbed the box from Louis and set it beside his desk.

“Hi,” Louis grinned, wrapping his arms around Liam’s waist. 

“Hi,” Liam sighed and hugged Louis back. “What brings you here today?”

“Well your shirts are done and typically we don’t deliver but I decided to make a special exception,” Louis winked. “And I was wondering if I could possibly steal you away for lunch.”

Everything Liam had to do for the day ran through his mind and he knew he should say no, he had a lot to do and he was hoping to leave at a decent time. The look Louis was giving him was softening him up; Louis had his hands in front of him, clasped together and he was looking at him through his eyelashes and he was even pouting slightly. 

“Alright, yeah. We can have lunch but I have-”

“A lot to do. I know Payno, I won’t keep you for long. Now come on, I’m craving tacos.”

Louis tried to pull Liam out of his office but Liam made him wait so he could make sure everything was saved on his computer and he had his phone and wallet. When he walked back to Louis, he allowed Louis to intertwine their fingers and lead him out of the community center. 

“Do you think when we get back you can give me a tour?”

“Absolutely,” Liam grinned. “I would love to show you. Wait, am I not driving?” 

“Nope and you’re not paying either so go ahead and get all of your protests out now so we don’t waste your precious time at the restaurant.” 

Liam wanted to say something about Louis calling it his precious time but as he learned from spending time with him after their show and texting him pretty regularly, Louis often said things that he didn’t mean. He was almost always joking and that’s just how Louis was. Louis kept trying to start a conversation while he drove to the Mexican restaurant but Liam had a hard time concentrating. Louis was a reckless driver and it was making Liam nervous. Liam’s hand never left the door handle and his other hand was clutching the seat. 

“You can relax now, Liam,” Louis laughed as he turned off the car. “I don’t drive that wild.”

“You can’t say that,” Liam told him as he got out of the car. “You have never been in the passenger seat while you are driving. I’m driving on the way back, I think I would puke after eating and getting in the car with you.”

“You’re so dramatic,” Louis laughed, pinching Liam’s side. 

Despite having a lot of work to complete, Liam took his time eating. He wanted to soak up as much time with Louis as possible. The kickball event was only a week and a half away which meant Liam was going to be even busier putting the final touches on things. It meant Liam wasn’t going to have time to go to Louis’s band practice or show on a Friday evening. He didn’t even know if he could sneak away for lunch again. 

After lunch, Louis let Liam drive and complained the entire way that Liam drove like an eighty year old man. Liam countered that he would rather drive like an eighty year old than die because Louis thought he was a racecar driver. 

“Do you still want a tour?” Liam asked, handing Louis his keys back. 

“Yes, please, if you have time.”

“Yeah, for you I do.”

Liam took Louis' hand in his and walked with him through the center, introducing him to his coworkers and a few of the kids who walked up to him. When the tour was over, Liam led Louis back to his office and walked over to the box. 

“I’m excited to see the shirts.”

“So I have to be honest about something,” Louis told him. “I changed the design a little. I know I didn’t get your input but I felt really good about the change.”

“Okay well I’m sure it’s going to be fine, Lou, for some reason I trust you.”

Louis grinned and winked. “Don’t know why you would do such a silly thing.”

Liam finally got the box open and got one of the shirts out and held it in front of him. Louis was right, the design didn’t change that much. In the banner, next to the letters PCC were four arrows, similar to the tattoo on Liam’s arm. Liam looked over at Louis, who for the first time looked unsure of himself. 

“Well?” 

“That’s my tattoo,” Liam said, holding the shirt closer to him. “Those are my arrows.”

“Yeah, I know. They’re probably my favorite tattoo of yours, I decided that at the diner.”

“You couldn’t stop tracing them,” Liam recalled.

“Yeah,” Louis sighed, his cheeks turning pink. “Yeah, I thought there was too much space in the banner and thought it would look good right there. It adds a nice touch to it.”

“It does. It makes it look complete. Louis, these are incredible. Thank you so much.”

Liam dropped the shirt back into the box and walked over to Louis and wrapped his arms around the slightly shorter man. He rested his chin on the top of Louis’s head and smiled into his hair. 

“You’re so fucking cute,” Liam told him, squeezing him a little tighter. 

When Liam pulled away, Louis lifted his head and kissed the corner of Liam’s lips. It was the ghost of a kiss, Louis’s lips were only there for a brief second before Louis was pulling out of Liam’s embrace. 

“I’m really glad you like them. When is the fundraiser anyway?” Louis asked, playing with the lanyard on his keys. 

“Next Saturday, why?”

“Oh,” Louis frowned. “If I wasn’t working I was going to go but I have to work that day. I’m sorry.”

Liam didn’t think Louis was thinking about attending so he shouldn’t have felt disappointed that Louis couldn’t attend but he was a little sad at the news. “That’s okay babe, I’m sure I’ll be running around like a lunatic anyway.”

“I guess I should go and let you do whatever it is that you do,” Louis grinned. “Call me later, yeah?” 

“Yeah, I’ll call you on my way home.”

Louis smiled and headed for the door. “Talk to you later, darling.”

When Louis left his office, Liam sat back down in his desk chair. He pulled up his email and absentmindedly touched the corner of his mouth where Louis kissed it. 

》》》》

Liam could feel the sun beating down on his exposed neck, making him try to recall if he put on sunscreen or not. It was too late now, the kickball game was in full swing and he couldn't exactly leave the field just to put on sunscreen. As Liam stood on second base, he let himself look over at the stands. There was a pretty big crowd watching the game and it made Liam's heart swell at the thought of the money they were making. The crowd started cheering again so Liam focused back on the game and ran towards third base, then home base. Liam ran off the field, his eyes scanning the crowd again and landing on the four men standing up and cheering the loudest.

Liam immediately smiled at the sight of Louis, Niall, Harry, and Zayn. They were all wearing shirts that read Team Pain with pain crossed out and Payne underneath it. Liam laughed and walked up to the fence, Louis walking up to it as well.

"Hey cutie, you must be tired from all that running," Louis grinned. "From running through my mind that is."

"You're ridiculous. What are you doing here?"

"I might have gotten out of work and dragged the boys here to support you."

If there wasn't a fence between them, Liam would have hugged Louis and probably kissed him as hard as he could. "Thank you. You didn't have to come but it means a lot."

"Liam!" 

Liam glanced behind him and saw one of the kids waving him over. "Duty calls. You'll be here for a while?"

"Definitely. Kick their ass Payno."

"There are kids here Louis," Liam laughed before walking off, feeling a little more competitive now that he knew someone was watching him. 

For the rest of the game, Liam played harder than he had before so his team could win. When the game ended, declared Liam's team the winner Liam ran to the center of the field where his team was running around. Liam fell to his knees, allowing the kids to jump on him and tackle him to the ground. 

From the stands, Louis watched the scene unfold before him. The other team, which was other kids from the center joined in on the fun. Every so often a kid would move and Louis could see Liam laughing and tickling someone before hugging someone else. 

"Lou, you've got heart eyes," Harry teased.

"Fuck off," Louis replied with no real heat behind it.

"There are children, Louis," Zayn reminded him.

Louis was going to say something smart, maybe even cuss again but he was interrupted by the announcer congratulating both teams and telling everyone that there were more food, games, and activities on the grounds. The kids eventually got off of Liam who was able to stand up and dust himself off. Louis walked against the crowd, ignoring his friends, and walked towards the field. Liam was busy talking to some parents and other strangers so Louis held back and tried not to be too obvious as he checked Liam out. Liam's hair was a mess, his clothes were covered in grass and dirt and his skin was dirty and red from exercise and the sun. Louis caught Liam's brown eyes and stuck his tongue out at him. Liam adverted his gaze and bit his lip to stop himself from smiling obnoxiously. 

Liam finally excused himself from the conversation with the parents and walked towards Louis. It looked like Louis was going to say something, probably congratulate him, but before he could open his mouth Liam dipped his head down and captured Louis’s lips in a sweet, simple kiss. It was nothing more but a bit of pressure and when Liam pulled away, Louis was smiling and his eyes were shining.

"There are kids here, Liam."

Liam laughed and scratched the back of his head. "You're a pain in the ass, you know?"

"That's it," Louis shook his head, poking Liam in the chest. "You owe two dollars to the swear jar."

"I'm so very sorry," Liam rolled his eyes as he smiled. "What can I do to earn your forgiveness?"

"Go out with us tonight, please?" Louis pouted.

"Okay," Liam nodded.

"Wait, that's it? Just okay?"

"Would you rather me put up a fight?"

"Absolutely not. I just had a whole speech planned. I didn't think it was going to be so easy."

Liam shrugged. "What time are you guys going? I don't know what time I'll be done here."

"I'm not sure but I'll wait for you. Maybe we can get something to eat before we meet up with the rest, just the two of us?"

"Definitely. I should go make sure everyone is okay," Liam reached out and played with the hem of Louis's shirt. "Are you going to be here for a while?"

"Yeah, of course. Find me when you can?"

"Definitely." 

Liam kissed Louis cheek before he started to walk away, his heart hammering in his chest. Liam’s thoughts were only about Louis and kissing him and wondering if it was too soon if it was too much or too inappropriate for the event they were at. Fortunately, he couldn’t give it much thought because there ended up being quite a few tasks that Liam had to deal with. Every once in a while he could see Louis and he winked at him or smiled or stuck his tongue out. He wanted to be able to go over and sit with him or play a few of the carnival type games with Niall or sit under a tree with Harry or Zayn but it seemed like every time he turned around, Liam’s attention was brought elsewhere. 

Someone at the face painting tent had to leave, they were sick and someone at the lemonade stand got overheated and had to find a seat. Liam couldn’t find a staff member or a volunteer that was free to be able to help and Liam was becoming increasingly frustrated. Liam hid behind one of the tents and was scrolling through his contact list on his phone when Louis appeared in front of him and put his hand on Liam’s arm.

“I didn’t take you as the kind to hide away,” Louis tried to tease.

“Not now Louis, I’m dealing with a lot right now.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know. What’s going on? Maybe I can help?”

Liam shook his head, eyes trained on his phone as he tried to think of a solution. “I need more volunteers. We only have one person working the lemonade stand and they are swamped and the person I hired for face painting had to leave and there are kids wanting it still. I don’t know who else to call. I have exhausted every one I know.”

“Hey,” Louis spoke softly, putting his other hand on Liam’s cheek and forcing Liam to make eye contact with him. “You’re in luck. You just happen to know a charming man with beautiful blue eyes who is great with kids and who knows an Irishman who knows how to fill up cups with liquid. Not only that,” Louis grinned. “You happen to know someone who can draw and someone else who is good with kids and can make them laugh. I’ll go find Zayn and Harry and tell them to meet you at the face painting booth and I’ll grab Niall and go to the lemonade stand.”

“You don’t have to do this, I can’t pay you. You weren’t even supposed to be here.”

“But I am here and I’m willing to help. Now come on, we’ve got to save the day.”

Liam wasn’t sure how Louis talked his friends into helping Liam but Zayn and Harry found the face painting booth and immediately started. Liam stuck around to try and help but Harry called him a bee and told him to fly away, making the kids in line laugh and call Liam a bee. Liam tried to ask if they were sure but that resulted in the small crowd and Harry making a buzzing noise until Liam left. Liam walked over to the lemonade stand to check in with Louis and Niall but they were too busy talking to people and helping them to even notice Liam’s presence. Liam finally walked away from them and went off to double check everyone else and make sure everyone was okay. 

Hours later, the grounds were empty except for staff from the community center, volunteers, and vendors cleaning up. Niall, Harry, Zayn, and Louis ended up staying and helped pick up trash even though Liam assured them that they had done enough. They stayed until there wasn’t even a gum wrapper on the grounds. When they finally left, Louis stole a kiss to Liam’s cheeks and asked Liam to call him when he was done. With the thought of going out to dinner with Louis alone, Liam worked as fast as he could to get done. 

It was around seven o’clock when Liam was back at his apartment and getting ready for dinner with Louis. They agreed on a restaurant to eat at before they were going to meet the rest of the guys at a karaoke bar. Since it had been so long since Liam had been out on a date and went out with friends, he decided to dress up a bit. He decided to wear a tight-fitting black t-shirt tucked into brown trousers and black and white vans. He styled his hair, put on his gold bracelet, and his gold chain. He sprayed himself with his cologne before collecting his wallet and phone and called himself an uber; he thought about driving himself but it was the first night he wanted to let loose and he didn’t want to worry about driving home and remaining completely sober. 

When he arrived at the restaurant, Louis was sitting outside on a bench. He was a white t-shirt covered by a navy blue and white bomber jacket, black skinny jeans with the bottoms rolled up, and vans. Louis’s hair was down and falling on his forehead and he hadn’t shaved in a few days so his beard was coming in which Liam loved. 

“Hey handsome,” Liam greeted Louis.

Louis snapped his head up and looked angry before his face softened and he stood up. “I thought you were someone else, I was about to fight you.”

“Something tells me I could take you,” Liam teased. 

Liam grabbed Louis’s jacket in his hands and pulled Louis towards him and connected their lips in a kiss. Louis sighed into it and wrapped his arms around Liam’s neck as Liam moved his lips against Louis’s, sliding his tongue across his bottom lip before nipping at it and pulling away.

“What was that for?” Louis asked, his eyes shining brightly. 

“I wanted to do that earlier but there were a lot of kids around. I can’t exactly go around making out with cute boys in the middle of a field at a fundraiser, can I?” 

Louis laughed and kissed him again. “Come on, let’s go inside before I decide to forego food in favor of kissing you.”

Their dinner was easy and fun. Both men were in a good mood and they kept the conversation light and easy-going. They flirted and talked about an array of things and by the time the dinner ended, they were both tipsy. They took an Uber to the karaoke bar and easily found the rest of the guys and joined them in the tiny room. It didn’t take long for Liam and Louis to get a few more drinks in their systems and start singing their own duets. The boys switched pairings and everyone sang with everyone else at least once. 

Liam sat down on one of the benches once his turn was over and watched as Louis sang with Zayn. When the song was over, Louis walked over to Liam, tripping over his own feet and falling into Liam.

“If you wanted to sit on my lap, you could have just done so,” Liam teased. “You didn’t have to have this elaborate plan to trip and fall.”

“Shut up Leeyum,” Louis giggled rolling his eyes. 

Louis moved so he wasn’t haphazardly sitting across Liam. He sat down on his lap and wrapped an arm around Liam’s neck while the other hand played with the chain across Liam’s neck. 

“You know,” Louis giggled. “When I first saw you wearing this chain I thought it was kind of ridiculous but now I kind of see the appeal. It means I can drag you wherever I want you to go or pull you in to kiss me.” 

Liam watched carefully as Louis tugged on the necklace and brought their lips together for the third time that day. Liam briefly wondered if it was too much for them to be kissing like that when they hadn’t talked about what they were doing or what they meant to each other. Liam feared it was too soon to be so completely taken by someone but as Louis licked his way into Liam’s mouth, his fears were pushed to the side. Louis tasted distinctly like alcohol, something salty and a taste that was very much Louis. 

“Oh come on!” Niall yelled. Liam pulled away from Louis and glanced at Niall then at Harry and Zayn who were also kissing. “I’m never going out with you guys again if you keep making out with each other.”

Louis stumbled out of Liam’s lap and walked over to Niall and put his hands on either sides of his face and placed a sloppy kiss on Niall’s lips. Liam was definitely not jealous at the sight of Louis kissing Niall and was definitely not happy when Niall finally pushed Louis off of him and told him to fuck off. Louis simply laughed and walked back over to Liam and propped down on his lap. Liam wrapped his arms around Louis’s lap and kissed his cheek. 

“Let’s have another drink and then sing another song Lima Bean, Liam Payne.”

Liam agreed to one more drink and one more song but when Louis decided to keep drinking, Liam decided to stop. He felt good, he was happy and having a fun time with everyone but he could tell Louis was pushing it. Harry kept glancing at Louis everytime he ordered another drink and Zayn was eyeing Liam and giving him a look that clearly said ‘watch him’. Liam tried to stop Louis from drinking anymore but then he dared Niall to a drinking game and Liam was getting a little worried. Louis’s drinking habits weren’t any of his business yet but as the night progressed, he wished they were because he was getting a little worried. 

Finally Liam convinced Louis to stop drinking so much and he called it a night. Louis could hardly stand up and he wasn’t making much sense. He wasn’t sure what to do, he didn’t know if he trusted Louis on his own but he didn’t know if he should bring Louis to his own place. Zayn spoke up as they were getting ready to leave though and told Liam they would take care of Louis. Zayn wasn’t very drunk and he could keep an eye on Harry and Louis, he promised Liam. Liam kissed Louis goodbye and promised to give him a call before leaving the bar. 

When Liam was home and laying in bed, his head was slightly swimmy and he was worried about Louis but he couldn’t stop thinking about how much fun he had during the day. It was heartwarming to see Louis at the fundraiser to support him and their date was carefree and their night at the bar was fun. Liam was able to let loose for the first time in years and it made him think about how much time he was really spending at the community center. As he fell asleep he wondered if he really could pull back his hours and allow the problems he solved to fall to someone else. 

》》》》

A few weeks had passed since the fundraiser and Liam has cut back at work little by little. He spent time with Louis whenever he could and he allowed Louis to drag him to mini golf during the week or the movies on a Saturday afternoon. It was fun to get out with Louis and his new friends but it couldn’t be a regular thing. Louis made it seem like drinking on a Wednesday night was completely normal and drinking in celebration after a well played set was to be expected. Over time, Liam tried to explain to Louis that he could have fun without drinking, he could go through band practice without drinking a few beers. Louis listened to Liam a few times and when he noticed an improvement with his performance at band practice and he was actually on time to work for a week in a row, he even thanked Liam for showing him that time management wasn’t as bad as Louis thought. 

It was later in the evening on a Sunday afternoon and Liam finally had time to spend with Louis. They spent most of the afternoon walking around town, eating lunch in the park and even watched Iron Man before Liam ordered them dinner. Louis had a few beers from Liam’s fridge and Liam tried not to recoil when Louis kissed his way into Liam’s mouth and Liam could only taste alcohol. 

“Lou,” Liam sighed when he saw Louis going for another beer. “Why don’t you just have some water or a coke or something?”

“Why?” Louis asked, pouting. 

“Because I’m not even tipsy and I don’t want to be sober while you’re drunk.”

“Then get drunk with me,” Louis stuck his tongue out while he opened another beer. 

Liam sighed and told himself to keep quiet while they watched the second Iron Man and Louis went to get his sixth beer of the evening. Liam wrapped his fingers around Louis’s wrist and stopped him. 

“Please don’t, Louis. I don’t want you to have another.”

“Why do you have to be such a killjoy?” Louis frowned as he crossed his arms over his chest and sat back down. 

“I’m not a killjoy,” Liam told him. “I’m just concerned for you.”

“You’re not a killjoy?” Louis laughed. “That’s rich coming from you.”

Liam could feel the irritation building in his veins as Louis moved away from Liam’s touch. “Louis,” Liam sighed.

“No, don’t Louis me. You think drinking is something only heathens do but if you would stop working so goddamn much you would realize that it’s normal.”

Liam tried to stay calm, Louis was drunk and upset but that didn’t mean he could talk to Liam that way. “I do work a lot and you know why I do Louis. You’re being cruel. I’m not trying to hurt your feelings. I just don’t understand why you drink so much.”

Louis was quiet and kept his eyes trained on the tv while Liam moved so he was facing towards him. Liam reached out and put his hand on Louis’s arm but he pushed him away. Liam sighed and brought his hands to his lap. 

“Babe, I’m worried. You have so much going for you that I don’t want to see you become dependent on something that could easily ruin your life. You don’t need alcohol to have a good time Louis. I’ve spent time with you when you’ve been sober and you have been just as charming, witty, and funny as ever. You’re so good Louis, you’re such a good person even when you say things that make you sound like a dick. You’re so positive and bright, I swear you are the literal sun. You make me so happy and I can always count on you when I’m feeling down-”

“Don’t!” Louis shouted as he stood up from Liam’s couch. 

Liam was startled, he didn’t know what he said to garner such a stark reaction from Louis. “I’m sorry Louis, I didn’t mean to upset you. I was just trying to tell you how your positivity and your personality brings so much happiness.”

“That’s not my job,” Louis seethed as he grabbed his empty beer bottles from the table into the kitchen.

Liam jumped up and followed him. “I know it’s not your job babe, I was just saying. I’m sorry, I don’t know what I said to make you so upset.”

“I’m not the fucking sun. My personality is not something that you can just take happiness from and use for your own free will. I’m not here to make you sure you are happy. I’m not the fucking sun!” Louis repeated as he started to gather his things.

“Okay, okay you’re not the sun. I’m sorry I upset you. I’m sorry I said anything. Please just calm down and come sit down. I’ll make you some tea or give you some water. We can finish the movie and have ice cream.”

“I have to go.”

Liam followed after Louis and grabbed his wrist. “Please don’t leave when you’re upset, I want to know what I did to make you so upset.” 

Louis ripped his hand away from Liam and put his hood up over his messy hair. “I’m not someone you can use, Liam. You have to find your own happiness and stop acting like I’m here to serve some kind of purpose.”

Before Liam could say anything, Louis walked away slamming the apartment door, leaving Liam standing feeling confused and lost. Liam walked back over to his couch and texted Harry and Zayn, telling them Louis was drunk and left his apartment quickly and in a bad mood. He asked them to check on him and let Liam know if anything happened. Liam sat down on his couch and let the past five minutes replay in his mind. He didn’t know comparing Louis to the sun was a horrible idea, he didn’t know that complimenting Louis’s ability to make Liam happy wasn’t a good idea. He thought he was saying the right things. All he wanted was to tell Louis that he was good enough without having to drink. He didn’t need to drink to have a good time. Now, Liam felt like he ruined it and he wasn’t sure how to fix it. 

The next few days at work Liam was distracted, he ignored phone calls and cancelled meetings in favor of staying in his office. He tried to reach out to Louis a few times but gave up when he didn’t get a response, he didn’t want to crowd Louis and make him more upset with him. Liam couldn’t handle the silence, he couldn’t handle knowing he hurt Louis without being able to talk about it. Even if the conversation ended with Louis never wanting to talk to Liam again, he had to try. Liam texted Niall and made sure they were having band practice that evening and drove straight there after work. They were already there when he arrived and he walked straight up to the garage and called out to Louis. Louis put down the guitar case he was carrying and turned towards Liam. 

“Louis,” Liam breathed when he saw him for the first time in a few days. Louis looked exhausted, he had bags under his eyes and he was wearing an oversized sweater and joggers. “Can we talk? Please?” 

Louis looked over at Harry who nodded then Zayn and Niall who also nodded before he walked out of the garage and started walking towards the back of the house where there was a table and chairs set up. 

“I like this sweater on you,” Liam told Louis softly, reaching out and rubbing the sleeve of the pink sweater. “It’s soft.”

“Yeah, it’s really comfortable.”

“Babe,” Liam reached out to try and touch Louis but Louis pulled back again. “I’m sorry. I am truly sorry for saying such heavy things to you. I didn’t mean to imply that you are some light source that I am constantly sucking from. I had no idea those words would offend you or upset you.”

“You couldn’t have known,” Louis shrugged, picking at the hem of his sweater. “I’m sorry for snapping at you and not letting you apologize or explain myself. Statements like that bring back a lot of bad memories for me. They are from a really hard time in my life that I have never explained to you. It wasn’t fair for me to be so upset with you when I haven’t let you in.” 

“You don’t owe me an explanation, Louis. If you don’t want to share you don’t have to. I’m sorry for saying something about your drinking, I suppose I don’t know you well enough to say whether or not it is a problem.” 

“You’re right though,” Louis sniffled, bringing his hand up to his nose. “I do have a problem and I have been ignoring it for years. The boys have said stuff to me but I always waved them off you know? But you haven’t known me long and you called me out on it. It hurt, and I know that wasn’t your intention. It really sucked to have someone I really like call me out on something so vulnerable.”

Liam moved from sitting across the table to sitting beside Louis. He reached out and wiped a few tears from Louis’s cheeks. “That’s why I did it, you know. I care about you and I like you and I want to keep getting to know you and take you on dates and let loose with you. I also worry, I don’t want you to lose yourself.”

“I don’t either,” Louis cried. “Sometimes I think it’s too late.”

“No, sweetheart, it’s not too late.”

“I talked to Harry on Sunday. I went over to his place after I left yours,” Louis explained. “I told him what happened and we talked. On Monday he helped me find a therapist specializing in alcohol intolerance and grief.”

The word grief stuck out to Liam but if Louis didn’t want to share, he wasn’t going to ask. “That’s really brave, Louis, I’m very proud of you.”

“Thank you,” Louis mumbled. “My first appointment is Friday at four o’clock.”

“You know I’ll get off work at five, why don’t you come over to my place afterwards? We don’t have to do anything. I’ll cook for you and you can decompress and we can relax. Or we can go do something. You still haven’t taken me to that weird rock museum you keep talking about. Or we can go mini golfing again or bowling.”

Louis laughed and shook his head. “No, staying in sounds nice. You’ve been slowly teaching me your sensible ways and I kind of like it.”

“Well,” Liam smiled, taking Louis’s hand in his. “You’ve been teaching me how to have fun and I kind of like it.” Liam was unsure if he could kiss Louis so he settled for hugging him and running his hand through his hair. “I’m so proud of you, Lou.” 

“I want to tell you about the bad memories but not now, not before band practice. Can we go to your place after to talk?”

“Yes,” Liam said quickly. “Yes of course. Do you want me to leave?” 

“No,” Louis shook his head. “You can stay.”

Liam sat on the couch in the garage during their practice which was a little more tense than usual. They didn’t joke around like they usually do and didn’t take as many breaks. It seemed like the other boys knew things were still a little awkward. When practice ended and Louis helped the rest of them clean up, Louis followed Liam to his car and stayed quiet on the drive. At Liam’s apartment, Liam made them each a cup of tea and settled down on the couch. Louis tucked his feet under him and practically turned himself into a ball as he began to explain why he was upset.

“In 2016 my mom died from cancer. She wasn’t sick for long, the disease took over her body very quickly. While she was ill she always told me I had to be strong and brave for my younger siblings. She would always tell me how my personality and how happy I always am made her days brighter. She called me sunshine because she said when she would be laying in her hospital bed, the room would be gloomy and then I would walk in and it would light up,” Louis confessed, his voice breaking.

“Oh Louis,” Liam set his tea down on the table and moved closer to Louis. 

“I didn’t mind being that person for her, I mean I kind of always was. My dad left when I was young and my mom had my siblings and I had to step up. I knew my mom depended on me a lot. It wasn’t until she got sick that I realized how much. No matter how much pain I was in or how exhausted I was, when I would visit my mom I would pretend nothing was wrong so I could keep being her sun. I wanted to be her sunshine, I wanted to be there for her but it became so much. It was so much to live up to. When she died, I didn’t get a break from it because I had all my siblings to worry about and they needed me. Then last year my sister died.”

“Fuck,” Liam shook his head. “Louis I’m so sorry.” 

“I tried so hard to be there for them. I kept up the appearance that I was strong and brave. I was happy when I was around them and I let them use me and take what they could from me so they could be happy. It’s been so hard, Liam. That’s why I started drinking so much. I picked it up after my mom died and then my sister died and it got worse. That’s why I got so upset with you, I couldn’t, I can’t handle hearing someone say they depend on me for their happiness. I know now that that wasn’t what you meant. I just, when I hear those things it brings me back to those times and it makes me so angry and upset. I don’t have any more to give.”

Liam was silent as he reached out to Louis and pulled him into his lap. He wrapped his arms around Louis and held him close, rubbing his back as he cried and held onto Liam. Louis apologized through his tears and Liam kissed his hair and reassured him everything was going to be okay. 

“I was fine being that person for my mom, you know?” Louis said, finally calming down and pulling away from Liam’s chest. “I didn’t mind but now, when people tell me those things. Even the boys, I can’t handle it. I’m not a spectacle. I’m just me, this is how I am and I can’t handle anyone depending on me anymore. I want you to be happy Liam, I want to be able to make you happy but you can’t depend on me. If we keep going, I can’t be your all. I know that probably sounds like I’m not willing to give you everything I have or commit but I can’t solely be your source of happiness.”

“I understand what you’re saying. I promise I won’t let you become my only source of happiness. I won’t put that kind of pressure on you. If anything I want to be the person that allows you to have bad days and show your other emotions. I won’t let you give yourself away, not to me, not to the other guys, not to strangers or the crowd at your shows. You are amazing, Louis, there is no doubt about it and I will do what I can to make sure you preserve that for yourself.”

Louis smiled through his tears and wrapped his arms around Liam’s neck and nuzzled his face into it, lightly kissing the skin there. “Thank you, Li, thank you.”

》》》》

A few months have passed and Louis has been going to therapy every week. Liam has continued to cut his hours down significantly. Now that Louis is sober, he has been writing new material for the band and they have booked more shows than ever. They all agreed to stop playing bars so there hasn’t been as much temptation. For dates, Liam and Louis go out to eat or go to the movies. When they hang out as a group, they play laser tag or paintball. Things have gotten better and Liam is happier coming home after work knowing he can call his boyfriend or call his friends and do something. 

Just like Liam promised, when he notices Louis giving too much of himself away, he pulls him back in. He reminds Louis that he only has to be there for himself, he doesn't have to be happy all the time and he doesn't have to be anyone else's support. Over time though, he lets Liam in and without him realizing he lets Liam take more and more of himself but instead of feeling defeated and frustrated, Liam makes him feel love and support. Liam has this way of taking care of Louis in ways that Louis didn’t realize he needed or wanted. 

In turn, when Liam has more projects to take on at once or he finds himself wanting to stay home and hide away, Louis is always there to remind him that getting out of the apartment is a good thing. It’s not healthy to spend everyday, all day at work. Louis reminds him that taking a walk or going to the movies or singing along to the radio at the top of his lungs is good for his soul. It takes some time but Liam realizes the community center won’t fall apart if he doesn’t spend every waking moment there. 

When Louis bumped into Liam at the bar months ago, Liam would have never guessed Louis would have made such an impact on his life. Having the privilege of knowing Louis and loving him, he realizes that that is just the way Louis works; he can make one small movement that sends off a domino effect of good things. They work well together, they bring out each other's qualities they have tried so hard to ignore and with time, they form a balanced life of work and fun.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading. Let me know what you think but be kind, I'm sensitive.


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